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Associated factors in children with chronic cough

Vikram Khoshoo1, Dean Edell1, Sopan Mohnot2

  • 1West Jefferson Medical Center, New Orleans, LA.

Chest
|July 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, allergy, and asthma are the most common causes of chronic cough in children. These conditions, along with others, significantly improved with targeted treatment, offering hope for improved pediatric respiratory health.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Chronic cough is a frequent pediatric complaint in primary care.
  • Etiology of chronic cough in children remains incompletely understood.
  • Limited data exists on the underlying causes of persistent cough in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the diverse etiologies of chronic cough in children.
  • To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive, multispecialty diagnostic approach.
  • To identify the most prevalent causes of chronic cough in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 40 children (5-12 years) with chronic cough (>8 weeks) and no apparent cause were evaluated.
  • Patients underwent extensive testing across pulmonary, GI, allergy, immunology, and ENT specialties.
  • Treatment response was measured using a visual analog scale before and after intervention.

Main Results:

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (27.5%), allergy (22.5%), and asthma (12.5%) were the most frequent diagnoses.
  • Infections (5%), aspiration (2.5%), and multiple etiologies (20%) were also identified.
  • Significant cough improvement was observed following targeted treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease, allergy, and asthma constitute over 80% of identified causes for chronic cough in children.
  • Appropriate management of these conditions leads to substantial symptom relief.
  • Multispecialty evaluation is crucial for diagnosing and treating complex pediatric chronic cough cases.
Abstract

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